(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an air intake aiding plate for nipples of feeding bottles, and more particularly to an air intake aiding plate that is adapted to be fitted below a nipple of a feeding bottle to prevent entry of air into a baby's stomach along with the fluid in the feeding bottle when the baby is being fed.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
It is noted that during the release of fluid from a feeding bottle, since the feeding bottle is enclosed, if a suitable amount of air is not introduced into the feeding bottle from the outside during the sucking process, the pressure inside the feeding bottle will drop, resulting in an imbalance between the pressures inside and outside the feeding bottle, which makes it difficult for the baby to suck up the fluid. Therefore, with reference to FIG. 1A, a lower portion of a nipple 2 is generally provided with a tiny slit 211 for intake of air. After the cap 3 is locked to the mouth of the feeding bottle 4, when the fluid M inside the feeding bottle 4 is being sucked up using the nipple 2, a suitable amount of the ambient air A is automatically drawn into the feeding bottle 4 via the slit 211 to balance and compensate the pressures inside and outside the feeding bottle 4. However, since a fluid sucking region of a strong suction force is naturally formed at the inner portion of the mouth 21 of the nipple 2 during the sucking process, the air A drawn in via the slit 211 at the peripheral portion of the mouth 21 will naturally have a portion thereof sucked up as air A1 due to its being at the periphery of the mouth 21. The air A1 will naturally be sucked up with the fluid M1 into the baby's stomach, making it uncomfortable and unwell, and it will cry aloud from pain. This phenomenon is quite common among babies after feeding.
Referring to FIG. 1B, there is available another type of feeding structure. An automatic straw unit 5 is installed below the nipple 2. A seat plate 51 provided at an upper portion of the automatic straw unit 5 is located below the nipple 2 and has an air intake hole 511 for receiving the air A1 introduced from the slit 211 of the nipple 2 into the inner side of the feeding bottle 4. And the automatic straw unit 5 has an extended soft tube 52 at a lower portion thereof, and the soft tube 52 is provided with a rear end suction head 521 to extend the suction force of the nipple 2 to thereby permit continuous drawing up of fluid M to the top of the nipple 2.
Referring to FIG. 1B, when the soft tube 52 is extended, as shown by the imaginary lines, as the rear end suction head 521 of the straw unit 5 is quite far away from the entry position of the air A1, the above-mentioned problem that babies may suck up air A1 simultaneously with the fluid M1 is avoided.
However, when the baby holds the feeding bottle 4 substantially upside down so that the soft tube 52 of the automatic straw unit 5 drops such that its rear end suction head 521 falls near the mouth of the feeding bottle 4, forming a fluid suction region of a strong suction force at the location of the end of the suction head 521. In this way, a portion of the air A1 drawn in via the slit 211 past the air intake hole 511 of the seat plate 51 will be simultaneously drawn up with the fluid M1 since it is near the suction head 521. And the air A1 is drawn to the inner portion of the nipple 2 and sucked up by the baby with the fluid M, causing discomfort to the baby.